Fort Pierce (St. Lucie County, Florida)
St. Lucie County · Florida · Second Seminole War
History & Significance
Positioned on a high bluff overlooking the Indian River's western shore, the fort was constructed by artillerymen using readily available palmetto logs and named for Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin K. Pierce, a career military officer whose brother Franklin later became the 14th U.S. President. General Jesup established headquarters here on January 14, 1838, with more than 1,000 troops including 400 dragoons, 600 Alabama and Tennessee mounted volunteers, and 200 sailors, regulars, and Washington City volunteers.
After the Battle of the Loxahatchee on January 15, 1838, wounded sailors were treated at the fort; the main engagement on January 24 involved approximately 200 Seminoles against Jesup's force of nearly 1,400, resulting in eleven American casualties. Following intensive early operations, troops settled into training, patrolling, trail-cutting, and supply transport; no direct battles occurred at the fort, as Seminoles resisted removal efforts.
In May 1841, Lieutenant William Tecumseh Sherman escorted Seminole leader Coacoochee (Wild Cat) and his warriors into the fort. The fort was deactivated in February 1842 and destroyed by fire in December 1843.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Military post from the Second Seminole War (1838–1842)
- Named after brother of President Franklin Pierce
- Historic fortification architecture preserved as public site
- Gateway to understanding regional frontier military history
- Located within modern city of Fort Pierce, Florida
Sources
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=107189
- https://apps.flheritage.com/markers/markers.cfm?county=st.+lucie
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Seminole_War
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/floridas-forts
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fort_Pierce_Park
- https://indianrivermagazine.com/digging-the-history-of-the-old-army-site-in-fort-pierce/